Ephesians 5:26-27 says, “That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.” The washing of the water in the word is a crucial matter for the church life. In order to have a proper church life, we need the washing of the water in the word.
The washing of the water in the word is different from the washing of the blood of Christ. The washing of the blood of Christ deals with our sins (1 John 1:7), but the washing of the water in the word deals with our spots and wrinkles. Spots are defects that come from wounds or from the natural life we received by birth; wrinkles come from oldness. When a church is young, it may not have any wounds or oldness. However, as the church goes on, it may become older, causing it to have wrinkles. The church also may be hurt by an event or certain persons. As a result, the church will have some spots. To wash away the spots and wrinkles, the church needs the washing of the water in the word.
The washing of the water in the word is not an outward washing but an inward washing. If we become dirty outwardly, we can easily wash off the dirt. However, wrinkles cannot be washed away outwardly, even with the strongest soap. To wash away wrinkles, we need to be renewed inwardly. Inward renewing requires metabolism, which comes mainly from eating and drinking. When we eat nourishing food, we have a healthy metabolism, and our oldness is washed away. However, if we do not eat for several days, we will begin to look old. Eating and drinking produce an inward, metabolic washing. The washing of the water in the word is this kind of washing.
As growing Christians, we must daily eat the word of God. In Matthew 4:4 the Lord said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” The word that comes out of the mouth of God, which is the word in the Bible, is our spiritual food. We need to eat the word of the Bible every day and even several times a day. If we eat physically only once a day, we will be hungry and eventually become old. We need at least three meals a day. To read the Bible once a day is good, but it is best to practice to eat the Bible several times a day—morning, noon, afternoon, and evening. The more regular times we have to eat the word of the Bible each day, the better.
Some may think that they do not have the time to eat the word several times a day. However, if we truly desire to find the time, it is always possible. It does not take a long time to eat a snack—less than five minutes. If we do not eat several times each day, we quickly become tired. By taking a few minutes to enjoy a few verses during the day, we will be refreshed and strengthened. This makes a big difference. This kind of eating keeps us young.
If we have not memorized many of the verses in the Bible, it is best to carry a pocket version. When I was a new believer, I carried a book of the Bible in my pocket all the time. Even when I was at work, I would occasionally read a few verses. The washing of the water in the word sanctifies, nourishes, and cherishes us. We need to spend time in the word not only by reading but also by praying. Prayer is the way that we feed on the word. We need to eat the word several times a day.
The water in the word is the life supply from God, the flowing life of God. In the Old Testament time the children of Israel drank of the water that flowed out of the cleft rock, signifying the flowing life of God that was released when the Lord Jesus was smitten on the cross (Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4; John 19:34). When the Lord was on the earth, He told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life” (4:13-14). Then at the Feast of Tabernacles the Lord cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water” (7:37-38). The living water is the Spirit of God. Finally, Revelation 22:1 says, “He showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.” The river of water of life signifies the flowing life of God. Today this living water is in the Bible. The word of God in the Bible is our life supply.